Abstract

Nickel nanoparticles were dispersed uniformly in a graphene oxide solution, using a laser ablation technique with different ablation times that ranged from 5 to 20 minutes. The results indicate that the nickel nanoparticle sizes inside the graphene oxide decreased, and the volume fraction for the nickel nanoparticles in the graphene oxide increased with an increasing ablation time. Further, using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, the nickel nanoparticles in the graphene oxide demonstrate greater stability from possible agglomeration when the nanoparticle was capped with oxygen from the carboxyl group of the graphene oxide. The thermal effusivity of the graphene oxide and nickel nanoparticle graphene oxide composite was measured using a photoacoustic technique. The concentration of graphene oxide shifted from 0.05 mg/L to 2 mg/L, and the thermal effusivity increased from 0.153 W·s1/2·cm−2·K−1 to 0.326 W·s1/2·cm−2·K−1. In addition, the thermal effusivity of the nickel nanoparticles graphene oxide composite increased with an increase in the volume fraction of nickel nanoparticles from 0.1612 W·s1/2·cm−2·K−1 to 0.228 W·s1/2·cm−2·K−1.